Overall 1stSingle Atom in an Ion Trap by David Nadlinger, University of Oxford In the centre of the picture, a small, bright dot is visible: a single positively-charged strontium atom. It is held nearly motionless by electric fields emanating from the metal electrodes surrounding it. Laser-cooled atomic ions provide a pristine platform for exploring and harnessing the properties of quantum physics. They are used to construct very accurate clocks or, as in this research, as building blocks for…